to other glass substrates were beneficial
for the manufacturing of the VIRUS
spectrograph mirrors.

A mile above sea level,
searching for answers

Large-scale, modern research projects
require precision instruments and materials in order to guarantee the most accurate
results. The data derived from VIRUS
and HETDEX could give researchers and
scientists a thorough understanding of the
early universe and the forces that drive
its expansion.

The spectrograph mirrors in HETDEX
must be made of high-precision specialty
glass to ensure the longevity of each individual spectrograph in the large mirror
array for many years to come. The sum
of its properties make floated borosilicate
glass the ideal material for such specialized optical mirrors.

The composition of this special boro-silicate glass is not only tailored towardexcellent optical properties, but it’s alsodesigned to exhibit minimal thermalexpansion. The sophisticated coatingapplied to the extremely flat surfaceenhances properties in VIRUS spectro-graph mirrors that could help research-ers to finally uncover the secrets of darkmatter and help us to better understandthe universe.